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HORSE SENSE WIRRAL ISSUES URGENT PLEA FOR PUBLIC SUPPORT
An urgent appeal has been launched by local rescue and rehoming charity Horse Sense Wirral to raise critical funds to support more than 80 ponies , leaving the charity on the brink of crisis .
Strong winds hitting the former dairy farm in Thornton Hough caused storm damage and equipment loss , with additional maintenance funds required to fix roofing and replace lost feed buckets .
The winter weather has also led to an increase in intake of rescued ponies , with a quarter of current residents joining the sanctuary since November 2021 . These include 24 vulnerable colts and mares , an ancient species native to the Welsh Carnaddau Mountains , suffering from malnourishment , physical disabilities and illness .
Despite the hardships faced there have been some heart-warming success stories for the sanctuary ’ s residents . Heather arrived as a yearling from the Carnaddau Mountains and was nursed back to health by the team , suffering health conditions and poor physical development caused by malnourishment where her legs struggled to support her body . A year on , she is almost unrecognisable , showing the impact of the care and attention she has received . Three rescued wild foals , China , Tudur and Gladys have been hand-reared during the pandemic .
The charity , run entirely by volunteers , is now operating above full capacity , and there has also seen a slump in January donations in the period after Christmas . Its founder Amy Pirie now has significant financial concerns to meet its bare minimum 16K monthly running costs for rent , animal feed and vet bills and calls on the public for help .
She said : “ Horse Sense Wirral has experienced a perfect storm of conditions that mean an urgent plea to the public for funds is required . Since the pandemic , we ’ ve had a 60 % surge in animal residents , where owners have passed away , endured financial hardship or bought a horse as a pet during lockdown that they can no longer handle . All in all , we are now on the brink of crisis , along with a covid induced volunteer shortage , and we want to make sure that we can focus on providing the best care without the worry of when the next bill is paid .”
The charity is also looking for more volunteers due to the impact of covid and absences leaving some shifts stretched . Prospective volunteers can submit weekly availability to a pre-planned rota that is based on three daily shift sessions in the morning , afternoon and evening with responsibilities including filling hay nets , feeding and watering and mucking out .
To make an urgent donation , please visit : https :// horsesensewirral . com / donate /
For longer term donors , new arrivals Dave , Henry and Ozzy are just some of the vulnerable new residents available for virtual adoption at just £ 20 a month , where you ’ ll receive weekly reports on your chosen pony ’ s progress . To find out more about virtually fostering a pony , please email Amy at horsesensewirral @ yahoo . com .
10 wirrallife . com